Hailing from Scotland, a land whose metal scene goes unnoticed the majority of the time, Common Gods have been dwelling within the darkest and grimiest depths of Glasgow. Having made an appearance at the first ever North Of The Wall Festival, Common Gods has been a name that is slowly making its way onto the lips of Scottish metal lovers from John O’Groats to Hadrian’s Wall and even to the lands south of the wall.

A crushing wall of riffs and a barrage of drums begins I Used To Pray, the first track on the EP, and is soon joined by a wrecking ball of vocal passages. Some slivering melodic pieces find their way into the song, taking away from the crushing effect of the guitars but adding to the fiercely sharp feeling of the song. Extinction parades a heavy, somber sound allowing for the guitars to create an almost doom-like atmosphere while the drums create that devastatingly brutal effect for the track – Something which is only enhanced by the sirenic keyboards.

Severed Tongue is begun with a colossus-sized wave of riffs, which are soon accompanied by the bloodthirsty vocals. Overall, the track is a snarling beast who’s bite is worse than the initial bark. A gentle passage opens up the title track, Helveien, before a sudden metamorphosis into a heavier, dulcet piece of guitar craftsmanship. The vocals, for the first two vocal passages, sound blunt but soon become a horrendous wailing of aggression later on in the song.

Helveien not only embodies the talent of Common Gods but the sound that makes up Scotland’s fiercely vehement extreme metal scene. Combining an iron wall of titantic riffs and melodic passages, with bestial vocals and cumbersome drums, Common Gods could easily become one of the best acts Scotland has to offer.